Another Loss, But Yanks Clinch Best Record in AL. Pittsburgh 9 NY 4

September 29, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0

The Yanks laid down a stinker in losing to the Pirates on a wet, drizzly afternoon in the Bronx — but got lucky that Cleveland lost again in the evening enabling NY to clinch best record in the American League this year. It guarantees them home field advantage through the AL playoffs.

Luis Gil allowed 4 homers and 6 runs in 5.2 innings, but still finished with a possible Rookie of the Year season — 15-7 3.50.

Rookie sensation Paul Skenes pitched for the Pirates — but was pulled for no reason after 2 innings; he apparently only pitched because MLB marketed the game for the Skenes-Aaron Judge matchup. Skenes struck Judge out.

The Yanks were down 6-1 but came back, stumbling over themselves in the process and wasting many opportunities:

  • Juan Soto was thrown out TWICE trying to get to 2nd when he didn’t need to — on a pitch in the dirt to Austin Wells in the 4th, and after singling in a run in the 7th to make it 6-3 with Aaron Judge due up next and 2 runners on.
  • NY pulled to within 6-4 in the 8th, but brought in Will Warren to pitch the 9th and he allowed 3 runs to put the game out of reach.
  • The Yanks left the bases loaded in the 6th and 9th.

“Obviously the long ball got him,” said manager Aaron Boone about Gil’s performance. “In and around that I thought he was pretty good. He had swing-and-miss, was pretty efficient. The last HR to right was kind of an elements thing — he kind of sliced it up into the tunnel. There were a couple of homeruns that moved kind of funny today. But the long ball got him; looked like on some mistakes — he hung secondary pitches and they took advantage.”

“One of the things I liked about Luis today was that he was in the strike zone and was efficient and had some swing and miss,” added Boone when asked how this performance effects Gil’s playoff start position. “A couple of pitches wrecked his outing but overall he was pretty strong. It was not a great day to play obviously for both sides, offensively, defensively, and on the mound it makes it a challenge but overall I thought he threw the ball ok today.”

NY falls to 93-68; Pittsburgh improves to 76-85.

1. Yanks Face Skenes

Aaron Judge had hit homers in 5 straight games as the Yanks clinched the AL East, then got a night off Friday night, as did Giancarlo Stanton — who had just had a HR and 3-RBI double in the AL East-clinching game.

They then faced rookie sensation Paul Skenes on this drizzly Saturday afternoon — and Skenes struck out Judge and got Stanton to ground out.

Skenes pitched only 2 innings — retiring all 6 batters he faced, striking out 3 (Juan Soto and Jazz Chisholm Jr.as well).

Some fans on Yankee twitter bemused Boone’s reputation of giving guys who are red hot a day off — which sometimes cools them off. MLB advertised the Skenes-Judge matchup before the game — so Boone no doubt was told to make sure Judge plays on Saturday — and thus gave him Friday night off. But if the Yanks were playing for the best record in the AL — which Boone said they were — some Yankee fans debated why Judge and Stanton couldn’t simply play the last 3 games since there is now a 5-game break before the playoffs.

2. Gil Good in the Rain But Gives Up Gopher Ball

Luis Gil has had better days — but was battling the elements all afternoon — playing in the misty rain. Skenes was out of there after 2 innings, but Gil pitched in the misty rain into the 6th — often needing to wipe the wet ball against his uniform to dry it off.

Gil pitched pretty well, but was touched by the homer ball. He gave up a:

  • Solo homer to catcher Yasmani Grandal 347 feet into the short porch in right in the 2nd for a 1-0 Pirate lead.
  • Solo homer to 2nd baseman Nick Gonzalez 415 feet to left center in the 4th for a 2-0 Pirate lead.
  • 2-run homer to leftfielder Billy Cook 400 feet to left with 2 outs in the 5th, after getting ahead of Cook 0-2. Cook fouled off a nasty 2-2 slider, then Gil hung a 90-MPH changeup and Cook made it 4-0 Pirates.
  • 2-run homer to 1st baseman Jared Triolo 357-feet to right center to make it 6-1 Pirates in the 6th — after Gil got the first 2 outs of the inning, then walked a batter.

3. Chisholm HR Gets Yanks on Board

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been hot the last few games and remained hot — stroking a 406-foot solo homer to right to put the Yanks on the board in the 5th against reliever Mike Burrows.

There was some speculation that John Sterling came back from retirement to make the low-hanging-fruit Jazz Chisholm homerun call.

4. NY Rallies Snuffed by Soto Baserunning Blunders

The Yanks were down 6-1 in the 6th but slowly started to get back in the game.

In the 6th, Jon Berti and Jasson Dominguez led off with walks — but Juan Soto lined out and Aaron Judge struck out against new reliever David Bednar.

With 2 outs, Austin Wells worked a walk to load the bases, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a chopper up the middle that was muffed by Pirate shortstop Nick Gonzalez — who tossed the ball badly to 2nd allowing a run to score.

With bases still loaded in a 6-2 game — Bednar struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Rizzo Hit by Pitch — Day-to-Day for Playoffs

In the 7th, Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch leading off. The ball hit his right hand across the fingers — he was in pain but stayed in the game. It was later revealed he has a fracture across both fingers, and may or may not play in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Soto Baserunning Gaffes

Jasson Dominguez reached on a 2-out infield single, and Juan Soto ripped an RBI single to right, scoring a run but Soto was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double — and the inning ended.

It was the 2nd time Soto was out trying to aggressively get to 2nd in the game — in the 4th he tried to get to 2nd on a ball in the dirt to Austin Wells. Earlier in the week, Soto tried to get to 2nd after an RBI single, that caused Gleyber Torres to break home in order to protect him — and Gleyber was thrown out in a run down. Gleyber got the heat but if Soto doesn’t try for 2nd that play never happens.

5. Chisholm Remains RED HOT

Austin Wells — who has struggled in September — was at the heart of another rally in the 8th — working a 1-out walk, then scoring on a 2-out double by the Red Hot Jazz Chisholm Jr.

6. Warren Puts It Out of Reach

Boone brought Will Warren in for the 9th in a 6-4 game — and Warren put it out of reach: a leadoff walk to Palacios who stole 2nd, a 1-out RBI single by Grandal, and a 2-run homer by Nick Yorke and it was 9-4 Pittsburgh.

7. Yanks Leave Bases Loaded in 9th

The Yanks weren’t done — Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti led off the 9th with singles against Jalen Beeks, and Juan Soto worked a 1-out walk to load the bases — and here came Aaron Judge.

Pittsburgh brought in old friend Aroldis Chapman — who went 3-1 on Judge before striking him out — Judge fouling off a 99-MPH fastball, then swinging and missing at a 100-MPH sinker out of the zone.

With bases still loaded in a 9-4 game, Austin Wells lined out to left for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401570879

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